Hell’s Hotel
by Ltkk022
Summary: AU/ Chapter 6 up. Ryou takes some fun-time off with his friends over the weekend to a very nice hotel. Too bad for him, said hotel is the focal point of a very large, and potentialy fatal opperation. Rating for language and other stuff...
1. Invited

**Hell's Hotel**

Author's note:  
Hello everyone! Im Quincy, and this is my first fanfic. Woo? Anywho, I'm Kinda debating over turning this into some shippings, but I don't know yet. Anyhow, continue!

* * *

Cool blue skies, not a cloud of worry. The milky haired teen look up, his chocolate eyes searching the sky for any sign of disturbance. No, nothing around to disturb him, but then why did he feel himself twitch with anticipation? Nothing was going to happen, he knew that. It was pure routine. He'd go to school and come home to find his apartment void of any signs of life. So then, why…? He paced, quietly entering the apartment block, quickly racing upstairs to his apartment door, number 601. A pale, slender hand shot out to grip the golden knob that led into his home. His chest tightened. 'Ryou, get a hold on yourself…' he muttered, disappointed at his own fear. Fear of absolutely nothing, need he remind himself again. Breathing uneven, he stuck his other hand into the pocket of his jeans, fumbling around until he was able to pull out his key.

Inserting the small chunk of metal into the brass opening, he flicked his frail wrist, and the door knob under his other hand gave a slight groan as it was twisted, revealing the young boy's home. Ryou quickly replaced the key in his pocket and turned to close the door. Yes, he was alone. Relief filled his thoughts before it was replaced by grief. His father had promised his return, if for only a few days. Oh well. He wasn't sure why seeing his father had not appeared has caused his so much pain. Dropping his school bag at the front the small house, the teen found himself laughing. Slipping his shoes off next to the bag, Ryou retreated further into the miniature home, knowing full well that if he need be worrying he would have to check his phone first. Of course there was a small light blinking on the phone. One new voicemail, of course. He lifted a finger to press the 'replay' button. A warm, apologetic voice found its way into Ryou's head. "Hey, Ry', its dad. Wanted to say sorry that I couldn't make it, and I miss you more and more every day, but work holds me in Egypt… for the time being." A small voice heard off in the distance. Almost an exclamation of pure joy. His father's voice returned back to the phone. "Well, we found an entrance to a tomb of some sort last night, and if you couldn't hear just then, one of the men apparently found some sort of hieroglyph that might help us open it. Anyways, work calls. Again, terribly sorry if I worried you by not showing up. Maybe sometime next month, eh? Love you, Son. Miss you, too. Bye." There was a beep. Ryou looked up and smiled lightly. At least his old man was safe.

However, it didn't keep his from the lingering fact that he was terribly bored and almost lonely to a point of insanity at times. His father being an archaeologist, he was never home. His mother had passed away some time ago, along with his younger sister, Amane. How people could be so cruel, drinking until they couldn't sit straight, yet still have enough nerve to get in a car was beyond him. That, after all, is what took two of his most important people away. A reckless car crash, on some stupid drunk's behalf. He willed himself to stop thinking about such things. After all, these thoughts only left the child more and more depressed. Shuffling back towards the door, Ryou was able to regain control of his ever-wandering thoughts as he bent down to reach for his backpack. The cloth strap securely in his hand, the boy walked slowly back into the kitchen, now sitting at the small table across from the stove-top. School work had always be one of his top priorities for who knew how long and everyone knew it. Maybe that's why his heart suddenly shot into his throat as the phone interrupted the silence and stillness of the air.

Walking slowly over to the phone, his pale hand found it's way other the receiver. "H-Hello?" he spoke quietly. "Ryou-kun!" the voice shouted back, obviously enthused that he could catch his friend on the phone for once. "Hi, Yuugi*..." Ryou relaxed his grip on the phone, his knuckles no longer the color of bone. "Ryou-kun, uh, Jonouchi-kun*, Anzu-san*, Honda-kun* and I were wondering if you'd come hang out with us this weekend!?" the boy's voice wavered, but perked back up. "Well…" Ryou sighed, "What are we going to do?" he glanced at the floor, he shifted his feet upon the carpet. It took a minuet for the voice on the other end to reply. "Well, you know that old hotel about thirty minutes west of domino?" There was a short pause, "It's opening an amusement park and an IMAX theatre tomorrow, so we were wondering if you'd like to go with us!" Ryou could almost feel Yuugi grin through the phone. A small smile fell onto his lips, before a shiver shot down his spine. "But… Yuugi, didn't someone get hurt at that hotel?" He gnawed on his lip. Yuugi's voice responded, almost chiding him. "Ryou-kun!" he sounded exasperated. "I got that answer from Honda! I was expecting more from you, believing in those silly stories." The voice on the other end of the phone sounded disappointed, to say the least. "Sorry, Yuugi… Just, it frightened me when I first heard it. You promise nothing will happen?" Ryou winced slightly at just how soft his voice sounded. "Yes! Will you be able to come?!" Yuugi's voice raising an octave. "So long as nothing happens. After I get my homework done." The corners of his mouth curled. "Yes, okay! Pack a bag too, Anzu said she could get us some rooms! We'll be by tomorrow at Eleven to pick you up, then we'll eat lunch together and go!" the voice filled with child-like innocence. "Alright, Yuugi-kun. I'll see you all tomorrow at eleven sharp." With that, they both hung up the phone. Ryou retreated back to the kitchen table to finish working on his homework. He glanced at the clock, it was Four-thirty.

A few pages of math were completed in a little over an hour. History, science, along with language worksheets sat in his binder waiting to be done. Ryou took the time to stretch out his legs, and walk into the kitchen, shuffling around in cupboards and the refrigerator for something to eat for dinner. Chicken and rice it is, he decided with a sigh. It was easy to cook, and didn't take long. With that, he left the chicken to thaw and water to boil. A few, maybe ten minutes later the same fluffy head of hair wandered into the kitchen to pop the chicken into the oven, and the rice was placed to boil in a pot of hot water. His feet slid along the floor, making a quiet pattingnoise. Ryou appeared in the archway of the kitchen and wandered into the living room, making his way gracefully over towards the stereo. Though he was quiet and bookish, it didn't stop his from loving music. His ears prickled as the beats began to pulse through the silent house, after all, he was used to absolute silence. Bouncing ever so slightly, Ryou made his way back to the kitchen with a small smile on his face. Rice was almost ready, seeing as how the heat was turned up to max on the stove-top. Pulling the black knob on the front of the appliance, the fire underneath grew dimmer, until the rice was just simmering. The chicken, however, could go for another ten minutes before it was ready. Ryou glanced again at the clock. It was just now around six p.m. His binder was open, and brown eyes scanned the words quickly. History grew more boring each time the boy looked at the worksheet. He sniffed the air lightly, chicken was done! Standing up quickly, Ryou sauntered into the kitchen. Covering his hands with oven mitts, the fragile teenager was able to pull the meat out of the over without burning himself. Resting the pan on one side of the counter, Ryou turned his attention to the rice, which was boiling over the sides. "Ahh! Not again." He griped, removing a towel from a drawer to clean up the spill. The stovetop was now turned off, and the rice water mess had been cleaned. Now, a white ceramic platter had a large helping a chicken and side of rice. A fork scraped against the china, picking up small portions of food. Somehow, Ryou was able to keep his food off of his homework. For he sat there for a good thirty minutes, working between science and his dinner. Once his meal had been cleared, he returned to the kitchen, rinsing the plate clean. The young boy returned once again to the table, and there he sat for another three hours. Not a sound interrupted the music that still played, except for the occasional _skritch_ from the pencil.

With heavy eyes, Ryou closed his binder, all his work for the weekend complete. Now, what to do about the actual weekend was his question. With a small shrug, the boy tugged the strap of his backpack over his shoulder, and scurried away from the table. The light was off in a flash, as well as the music. The two rooms that had been bathed in light for the past five hours now still and dark. Back, further on into Ryou's apartment, one could barely make out a golden glow from behind a closed door. Bustling around, the small youth had thrown several articles of clothing onto the bed, in an attempt to collaborate them into two outfits. "One for tomorrow and one for Sunday" he told himself. With tired hands, Ryou pulled his school items out of the backpack, resting them upon an old oak desk that stood below a window in his room. Shoving one of the outfits into the now empty bag, Ryou zipped it up and threw it onto his bed. He quickly retreated from his room and into the bathroom across the hall.

Peeling off is school uniform, and stepping into the shower, hands reaching out to the taps on either side of the faucet. Turning them quickly, he felt the water pressure rise with each small twist of the knob. Warm water poured over his head, trailing down his bare back. Now, this was relaxing. Soft liquid pooled into his hand, and he rubbed it into his scalp. Ryou backed into the water, foam trailing from his hair. Another bottle popped open, and he squirted the liquid soap onto a wash cloth, and proceeded to wash the rest of himself. Once he was completely rinsed, Ryou shut off the water, and wrapped his waist in a towel, mumbling about how he forgot his pajamas in his room. With a click, the light in the bathroom was extinguished as well. Dry, and clothed, Ryou left the towel to dry over the top of his door, while he climbed into his bed. With the lights off, warm sheets surrounding him, Ryou was able to escape his thoughts by drifting into a much-needed sleep.

**

* * *

****A/N:**

San- title used referring to females and elders.

Kun- title used for junior-high thru high-school males.

Yuugi – Yugi. Anzu – Teá. Honda – Tristan. Jonouchi – Joey. I used the Japanese names, and I will continue to use them in this fanfic, if I even continue to write it. I kinda lost inspiration after the third paragraph… oh well. **R&R please?** Kinda short, but eh. I did mention that I got tired halfway through. :D Reviews make me smile?


	2. Come Inside

Hell's Hotel

_Come Inside…_

* * *

Disclaimer: Never have, nor will I ever own Yuugioh. Read on!

* * *

A pale hand shot out into the darkness, casually tossing back a large blue comforter. Ryou sat upright so fast that his head began to spin. He quickly pulled his hands up to cover his head, while he mumbled a quick 'Ouch.' Standing up, he did a once-over his room. Everything was still intact, and the roof wasn't in pieces around him, so he figured it was safe to wake up. Ryou decided that he'd better get a head-start on the day, or everything would backfire on him and he'd be rushing out of the door with the washing machine exploding behind him. Doe-brown eyes drifted towards the small side-table that sat beside his bed. Large neon-blue numbers reflected in his eyes. It was only 6:45 am. Much too early for any of his friends to be up, but then again, they didn't really have as many responsibilities. Sure, they had schoolwork and things like that, but none of them lived alone, and therefore, Ryou had more to clean and fix on his own then his schoolmates.

Striding past his bed with his usual ease; Ryou quickly grabbed his attire for the day, and continued into the bathroom, flicking on all the lights in his path. He let the clothes in his hand fall onto the counter, while the pajamas he was wearing fell to the floor with a soft _thunk. _Water could be heard pounding into the white tiled shower. Then, two distinct footfalls, and Ryou stepped underneath the warm flow. (A/N: No, I don't have a strange obsession with Ryou showering, but that's usually what I do. I shower Friday night like usual, then shower when I get up on Saturday's… I'm done.) The shower all in all took about fifteen minutes. After all, he had more hair than some of the girls at his school, and he kept it neat. He didn't care what people said about it; or the teasing that came along with it. They could question his sexuality all they wanted. Point was, he was keeping his hair clean and long, like it or not. Soft fluffy towels surrounded his hair and from the waist down when he finally got out. Shuffling over to the sink, he pulled the towel off of his head and tossed it on the floor so he could stand and brush his hair and teeth without freezing his feet off on the cool morning tile floor.

A few minutes later, the bathroom light clicked off, and a fully clothed Ryou appeared in the doorway, wet towels slung over the bare part of his arm. Blue jeans covered his legs, a black fitted T-shirt and light blue jacket covered his torso. He wasn't sure where he came across the black shirt, but it was comfortable and matched, so he didn't mind. Figures he grabbed the shirt mistakenly in his rush to get everything done last night. He quickly threw the towels close to the washing machine and walked off. With a small sigh, he glided into the kitchen to fix himself a light breakfast. Buttered toast it was. With his stomach half way full, he checked the clock. It was 7:15 am. He decided that would have to hold him until lunch. With a little under four hours until his friends arrived to pick him up, Ryou decided he should do the chores he'd been neglecting for the past three days. All of which included dishes, laundry and he might as well go over his homework once more, just to be safe.

Laundry was simple. Routine and boring, but still simple... Separate what few articles of cloth into four piles, Colors, whites, towels, and jeans. Ryou noticed just how much he had forgotten. The blue jean pile was large, and the towel pile was almost up to the middle of his calf. That small fact worried him greatly; he just remembered that he only had two clean pairs left. The ones he was wearing and the pair in his bag. The rest of the piles remained small enough, not much to worry about there. Opening the large metal top of the washer, Ryou looked in, to see if it was empty. Thankfully, it was. He bent down and scooped up the jeans and tossed them carelessly into the metal drum. He flipped the knob, and water began to fall and soaked the jeans in a matter of minutes. Adding detergent and then closing the lid, Ryou walked towards the kitchen for the second time that morning. A few plates, spotless at first appearance, were stacked up in the left side of his sink. Opening up the dishwasher to his right, the young boy began to fill his dishwasher with old plates and messy cups. It didn't take him that long, for he had actually remembered to empty the washer last time he had done this. With that done, Ryou walked back into his room, and slipped into his chair in front of his desk. His binder was open, and he began to review over everything he had done in such a short amount of time yesterday. He sat there, motionless, for a solid hour, scanning over all the papers he completed yesterday.

When he was finally content with his work, he closed the work and left it alone on his desk. Walking again past the bathroom, his eyes flickered when they met the mirror. Standing there staring at himself in the bathroom mirror from a good fifteen feet away, Ryou noticed as he turned slightly, how the shirt he had accidentally picked up contrasted greatly with his porcelain skin. Usually he wore light blues, and occasionally a pale green or white, but this black shirt stood out so stark against his white skin, white walls. Oh, how he wished he could just blend into the walls and disappear at times. Again, he felt so lonely. It was an unusual moment for him to feel this emotion; seeing as how in two hours his friends would be here, but it seemed to always stay dormant in his heart... Waiting for him to actually look at himself. Brushing his bangs out of his face, he banished the thoughts from his head and walked into the living room. A small tan couch sat facing the TV on the opposite side of the room. And there he sat, flipping through channels, waiting for something good to come on, when he heard a hard knock at the front door. His heart almost leapt into his throat at the sudden noise. He calmed himself down, and stood up.

Walking over to the front of his apartment and opening the door, a small little boy who looked to be around the age of eleven tackled him in a hug. "Konnichiwa, Ryou-kun!" The tri-colored, spiky haired teen greeted, releasing his friend. Ryou looked down at Yuugi… he was so short! His hair only came up to about Ryou's shoulder, but he didn't mind. Though he used to be teased all the time about his height, Yuugi was always acting tall. You could ask any of them, they all knew the story of how Jonouchi and Honda had teased his about being manlier, but what really mattered is what happened that helped their friendship form. Ushio, a large, strong, ruthless student became Yuugi's 'bodyguard' and tried to get him to pay money for his 'services'. Services which involved beating Jonouchi and Honda senseless until Yuugi was courageous enough to stop the bully and defend his tormentors now turned best friends. Back to the present… Ryou opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by more voices, "Hey, Ryou, wassup man?!" Jonouchi called, pulling him into a sideways hug, and slugged him lightly in the shoulder. Honda squished his other side, slapping his back. He winced away from the two of them, a small smile playing his lips. "Hey guys! Glad you finally got here. I was starting to get bored." Another person walked up and took his hand in their own and shook it lightly. "Hello, Ryou-kun." The feminine voice called. He turned to see Anzu, smiling brightly. "Anzu-san. Good morning." He responded. Leading them back into the house, Ryou excused himself to fetch his bags, and turn off all the lights and appliances. They were out of the door before Ryou even had a chance to finish tying his shoes.

* * *

I'm dragging out this story. Who would have thought that I could take five short hours and stretch it into a thousand words?! (No, it didn't take me five hours to write. If you paied attention, he was awake for five hours before they left.) Anywho. This is more of a filler chapter. I havn't really thought about what's going to happen at the hotel yet, so you got this. It's just a little chapter to get teh general idea of what's happened. I will be witing alot over the weekend, so **I guarentee that the next chapter will be up before Monday**, and they will at least be arriving at the hotel by then. I dunno what will happen when they all go to lunch togeather, without teachers glaring at them, making sure they behave. c:  
R&R this filler chapter please? No? That's cool too.. nothing much happened in it. I just needed to get some juices flowing in my brainz.  
LT.


	3. Lunch!

Hell's Hotel

Lunch?

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Don't own steak, or chicken sandwiches, or sushi rolls. I don't own water, or tea.

* * *

"C'mon, Yuge! I'm starving over here!" Honda howled, doubled over in mock pain. "Honda, shut up! Geez, we'll get there when we get there!" Anzu yelled, turning around on a heel to smack a still rather whiney Honda. "Hey man, no need to get so cheezed off…" he mumbled under his breath as Anzu promptly returned to her original position with a quiet_ hmpf_. The group of five teenagers seemingly had been wondering around downtown Donmino City for the past fifteen minutes, pondering over what to eat. "Well, if we want to eat in, which we do, we'll have to choose a restaurant along here in the shopping strip." Yuugi chirped happily, almost bouncing with childlike innocence. "Otherwise we'll miss the shuttle bus that'll take us to the Hotel!" he finished his thought matter-of-factly. Anzu grinned down to the shortest boy of the group, but said nothing. She turned to watch Jonouchi and Honda argue over burgers, and the ever timid Ryou gently trying to pry them apart; preferring to use words instead of resorting to violence. Maybe that's why she felt gravitated to him. Just like the rest of their group. Maybe at first, it was because he was a rarity, a new boy to the school. She quickly learned that when given the time, Ryou could calm anyone down, and that was what he was doing as we speak. "C'mon, let's go! We're wasting time!" Yuugi chided his friends, whom all quieted down.

Anzu couldn't help but grin. Everyone was so thrilled for their trip, but there was something she tactfully forgot to mention to the boys. Hopefully it would perk their spirits further. It was nice to know people in high places, especially nice people with great jobs.

"Well, guys." Jonouchi began, starting to drift away from the group. "I know where I'm going, if you don't wanna follow me, I'll meet you all back here at One-Fifteen, okay?" and without another word, he turned to the left and strolled off. "Jonouchi-kun, wait!" Ryou called, dashing after the tall blonde's retreating figure. Yuugi and the others were hot on his trail. Jonouchi whirled around and grinned. "Smart kids, let's go in already." He laughed, jabbing a thumb behind him, in the direction of a silver building, standing two stories high. Ryou looked puzzled…

"What is it?" the white-haired youth called up to the tall blonde one.

"L's." Jonouchi responded simply.

"L's?" Yuugi echoed, as the rest of the group finally bothered to listen in.

They had long ago caught up, but never bothered to listen in until Jonouchi mentioned the name. They were too interested in the fact at how much this building stood out. It was a steel building surrounded by buildings covered in bricks of different colors. "Yes, L's. Now, let's go!" Jonouchi sighed, and walked off, Honda suddenly appearing at his side. "Awright! I've been waiting long enough!" And with that, the two teens started pushing and shoving each other, running down the street, leaving three very bewildered friends behind. "Guys, wait!" Ryou cried, as he, Yuugi and Anzu suddenly raced off after them.

The group finally found themselves in the restaurant, standing around, waiting to be seated. One slightly older waitress -around twenty-five in age- walked up to the kids. "Follow me" she sighed, didn't people have other things to do than eat? Their money would be hers soon enough, so she guided them wordlessly across a floor filled with tables, and people sitting in them. She offered them a booth big enough for all of them plus one, and they filed in orderly, backpacks and other bags placed on the floor.

Jonouchi, being the flirt he was, reached out to grab her hand. "I'll have a water." and smiled toothily. The waitress swatted his hand away. "Watch it, I'll call the cops!" she sneered in his face, long blond wavy locks framing her own. Yuugi intruded, "Gomen nasai… Ms. Uh…" he studied her name-tag. "Kujaku-san.", finishing with a small smile and blush. It was true, she was attractive, to say the least, but her cold exterior seemed to scare people off, and apparently she didn't mind it. She was too old for Yuugi, he immediately knew, and something else seemed to scare people off. "Please, call me Mai. Just keep this mutt's paws off of me, and we won't have any problems." Mai-san said with a quick roll of her bored purple eyes. Snobby. Yeah, she could be snobby too.

"Well, I know he wants water." Jerking a thumb towards Jonouchi, who looked extremely dejected, and was currently twiddling his thumbs. "What'll you all have?"

"Water." Ryou sighed, they would need it.

"Tea." Anzu smiled at the woman, trying to be pleasant.

"Water" Yuugi tried.

"I'll have a tea, too." Honda interjected before their bold, blonde waitress left.

"She digs me." Jonouchi said egotistically as soon as she left, blowing on his nails. "Yeah right man. You couldn't get a score like that even if you paid her." Honda scoffed. "What'd you say to me?" Jonouchi yelled, turning to face his other best friend…

"GUYS! Enough, just order some dang food." Ryou said in a strained voice. He shoved two laminated pieces of paper into their faces and a small frown flickered across his face. Weren't they supposed to be having fun?

"Well, I think I'll have sushi rolls." Yuugi said to no-one in particular, playing with a strand of his blond bangs, placing the menu in the middle of the table.

"Me too," Anzu said, copying Yuugi's latter motion.

"Yeah, yeah. Go on and eat your smelly raw fish. I'mma have a steak." Jonouchi yelled, enthused.

"Yeah. I'll have one too." Honda echoed.

"What'll you have?" They spoke all at once, turning to Ryou.

The young boy flushed at the sudden attention, even if it was just from his friends. "Chicken sandwich?" it was more of a question.

They all smiled at him in response, turning back to their original position. "Good choice." Yuugi chirped. As if on queue, Mai-san appeared, holding a tray of drinks. She dispensed their drinks to the proper customer, and whipped out a note-pad. "What'll you have?" Her eyes drifted to Jonouchi. She popped a rather large, pink bubble, and sucked it back into her mouth, uninterested.

"Your number…" -he paused-" Oh, and a steak." he growled playfully, causing Yuugi to shake his head in shame. Ryou covered his face in his palms, while Anzu covered her mouth and looked down. The only one who didn't react was Honda, who was too busy in stirring his drink with his straw. Mai-san opened her mouth…

"Chicken sandwich!" Ryou suddenly spoke, hoping to stop the confrontation. A small, embarrassed smile ruled over his features. Mai nodded, gum popping once again. It was easy for her to see that he didn't really want a fight.

Yuugi, Anzu and Honda all ordered, and Mai wrote it all down in her little black booklet, and much to Jonouchi's dismay, turned on her heel and left without another word. After about fifteen minutes of quiet conversation at the table, their food arrived. Jonouchi dug in happily, completely disregarding Mai, to everyone's surprise. Once the food has been passed out, and Mai had left, everyone began to chatter about how fun the hotel would be. Their food was cooked to perfection, if you asked Honda, who devoured his whole plate in less than ten minutes.

All their plates were cleaned and stacked in the middle of the table, it didn't take Mai long to swoop in and deliver a little black check-book directly to Jonouchi, and carry off the platters. Their friend looked completely befuddled, but opened it anyways.

Out fluttered a little piece of paper into his lap. On it, written in pink hi-lighter were ten numbers, and 'Mai" scrawled across the top. Jonouchi looked ecstatic. "Told you she dug me." His tone arrogant beyond anything his friends had ever heard, pocketing the small slip of paper. Ryou rolled his eyes, and dug in his own pocket, producing a ten dollar bill. He put in into the book, and soon everyone had done the same. Soon enough, fifty dollars was piled into the book. It was slammed shut, and they all reached down to get their bags. They left quickly, hurried by Yuugi to get to the train station on time.

Standing in front of them was a large blue bus, that had 'Domino Transportation' scrawled in big yellow letters across the side. "Bus-ride, to Hikadera Hotel! Everyone on!" the driver yelled, as soon as the doors opened. The group boarded quickly, stashing their bags above their heads before settling down into the seats, and quietly conversing amongst each other.

Thirty minutes later, "Thank you for Riding Domino Transportation, we hope you had a pleasant experience, and look forward to your faces again!" the driver looked irked at the lines he was forced to repeat for every dang stop. The teens filed out of the bus, bags in hand. Standing in front of them was a large, four story building, with glass walls on the outside.

"Well, let's go!" Yuugi cried happily. The group burst forward, swing their bags on their backs.

* * *

There.


	4. Here goes something

DISLAIMER: I don't own anything.

Zie Ayton: You're probably right. I'll try to tone down the minor details. Thanks for the honest review. I'm glad you're interested in the story. Hope I don't disappoint. :D

Lovenyami: Always. It is, isn't it? Glad you liked the chapter. Hope you enjoy this one. (:

Consumedbylove: He is! Hahaha, yay. Thanks for the review!

Shantih: I'm glad you enjoyed it. He is boring here, hope this chapter will make up for it! It's got both of your requests in. C: Mai just seemed like the right person there.

NulTide: Glad you're enjoying it! :D I'm trying out the time-skip method. Or, something like that in this chapter.

Word count: 3,725. (If you care.)

I spaced out the paragraphs, so it should be easier for you to read!

-

* * *

Hell's Hotel

Here Goes Something

There he stood, unannounced to the rest of the world, gazing down at the people that dotted the _amuse_ment park grounds. How did these fools find anything about these large steel machines and extremely sugary foods _amusing_?! A horrifying growl escaped his barely parted lips. Two pale hands shot up to the window frame, pushing it closed. Why on earth would they build an employee lounge so close to all the noise of the park? Wasn't a lounge a place where one could relax in silence? No, maybe that's just how he relaxed. He was never a big fan of noise anyways. 'None of that matters right now.' His thoughts echoing around his own head while he shifted amongst random items that littered the floors and two couches set up in the confined space.

Nothing. Not a Ra-danged thing to be found worth of value.

Of course, how could he have known this? It wasn't as if the figure caked in shadows worked here. He knew only that people left there most important things laying around for people like him to find. Money, jewels, gold, you name it; he's probably had it in his possession at least once in his life.

Money, that's what he needed in this town. That's what he needed to live. Of course, one must work to earn money. Working wasn't really his thing. Why not do what he was good at, and just take that of which belongs to others? Not a lot of work, and no other people physically involved, other than himself, that is. That's how he got started. Thievery snuck its way into his life, the need for things and the unwillingness to acquire them honestly. Still feeling around, nothing of interest was caught in his grasp. "Oh well, I'll just look elsewhere, deeper in the park." A deep voice growled and merged into the darkness. Unheard by everyone but himself.

‹——›

"_Guys_!" Anzu called to the bewildered boys. They had just entered into the large main lobby of the fabulous hotel. There they stood in awe, gazing at the glass chandeliers that swayed stories above their heads, to the contemporary art adorning the glass walls. Ryou vaguely wondered how they managed to get such large pieces of artwork mounted to the glass. Genuine leather sofas and recliners were arranged fashionably around medium sized dark oak wood tables dotting the lobby floor. People wandered around looking for lost papers, or struggling to keep up with their children. Just a few yards short of Ryou's current position sat the back of the enormous hotel and a brilliant view of the hotel's land that sprawled across acres of rolling green grass. (I know, I know. It's Japan, but let's just say that they traveled to a more rural area of Japan.) To the far left of the back window of the hotel sat a fat black box of a building. A sign stood just to the right of it, the words 'IMAX' printed in bold red lettering, with an arrow pointing towards the squat building. Ryou turned his head in the opposite direction on the IMAX Theater and caught a glimpse of what seemed to be the mid-section of a very tall roller coaster, before a rather large gentleman stepped in his way, temporarily hindering his view.

"_GUYS_!" Anzu's voice chimed, more persistent this time, and she was starting to become rather irksome. Ryou spun around on a heel and exhaled sharply, shutting his eyes and rubbing his temples. It wasn't a very smart idea, he figured, to simply tell her to her face that he had heard her the first time, but had better things to do than listen.

The other boys had all wandered off, and Anzu was steadily rounding them up. Walking towards the boy with the snow-kissed hair, annoyance was plain on her face. "C'mon!" she huffed and sashayed off, the boys staring after her in bewilderment. They quickly found it smart to follow the brunette.

It wasn't too hard to find the dancing queen, slipping in and out of crowds of people, occasionally looking back and flashing a smile. In her mind, she dared the boys to keep such a quick pace, and look so good doing it. Anzu swayed to a stop in front of a door in a long hall, empty except for herself and her friends, all of whom were finally showing up. She turned around and smiled, pointing to a golden plaque on the door, 'Manager' spilled across in fancy lettering.

"Anzu?"—Ryou looked troubled—"Why did you lead us all the way to the end of the hotel, opposite of the rides, and the fun, and..." he was cut off when Anzu turned around, and burst through the door.

"Aunt Masaki! Uncle Tsukune!" the girl cried, throwing herself into the burgundy colored office.

Sitting behind a desk in the middle of the room was a middle-aged man in an office chair. A woman, around the same age, stood beside the chair; bending over a portfolio that sat in the center of the desk. Their heads snapped up in unison, faces lighting into a smile. "Anzu-chan!" the male stood up, and rushed over to embrace the young girl. She gracefully returned the show of affection. The woman came from behind the desk and collected Anzu into her arms; again, Anzu returned the gesture. After breaking free of her Aunt and Uncle's grasps, she started a light conversation, chattering on about mindless things. Yuugi cleared his throat quietly, and Ryou coughed into his fist. Honda was pulling on Jonouchi's hair, and Jonouchi was turning to slap him when Anzu's voice turned towards them.

"Hey, listen!" she insisted, "As I was trying to say earlier. I have a surprise for the four of you." The female took a deep breath. "My aunt and uncle, who own the hotel, have graciously decided to let us, and we alone, have a lock-in in the park! Free rides and all!" she threw her hands into the air.

"No way!" Jonouchi squealed. (Though he'd never admit it.)

"That's awesome!" Honda hollered, eyes doubling in size. Wonderful images of cotton candy clouded his mind, causing him to drool.

"Anzu, that rocks!" Yuugi chirped excitedly, rushing to hug Anzu like the affectionate little creature he was.

"Thank you, Anzu-san!" Ryou chimed, his usually quiet voice was louder, and his eyes sparkled in excitement.

"Well, we wont be the only people there tomorrow until around seven when the park closes to everyone else, but after that, we have an all access pass to everything, and we can crash in the employee lounge if we get tired." The group burst into more chatter and cheers. Mostly cheers of gratitude, directed towards Anzu and her relatives. The older couple looked at the group and smiled. They didn't have a child of their own, so it was nice to spoil Anzu whenever they could.

"Well, let's go and get you all into your rooms, later you can explore the hotel, and catch the movie at the IMAX. I've heard it's a scary movie, so I'll be avoiding it." Mr. Tsukune called. "Masaki, the J&J rooms right on the edge of the hotel."

Masaki nodded, and pushed them from the office. "Have fun!" they could hear the male call, before the large door shut.

"He's a very busy man. Small attention span, we'd best not bother him." Masaki chimed, her black hair falling around her face. She had blue eyes equivalent to Anzu's, and her cheeks were just a tad bit sharper than her nieces. The woman gestured towards the children, making sure they followed her as they exited the dimly lit hallway and broke into the expanses of the main lobby. The noise washed over them, but they remained together, dodging people, stepping in a quick rhythm. They came to an elevator, and Masaki pressed a button with a three, hands quickly returning to her sides.

"Your rooms are located on the edge of the hotel, only a few yards away from the park." Another delicate hand rose, and pointed down a hallway. At the end was a door with "Exit." written in green above the frame.

The elevator doors opened, and the group piled in.

Just go out of that door, and follow the path, it'll take you straight to the amusement park entrance. So all you'll have to do…" She was interrupted by the elevator doors opening. She stepped out, the teens following her every move. They continued on down the hall, Masaki talking as they went. "Is take the elevator down to the bottom floor, turn left and exit the door." They came to a stop. The hallway was bare, but warm. Their attention was directed to three doors.

"Yuugi and Ryou, you two can share room 22. Honda and Jonouchi, 23. Anzu, 21." She handed Anzu, Honda and Ryou room keys. "They're Jack and Jill rooms, so you all don't have to worry about sharing anything but a bathroom. Except Anzu. Sorry hun, you're all alone." Her aunt turned to face Anzu, who rolled her eyes.

"I'm hurt." She sighed sarcastically. Her aunt laughed in return.

"Well, I'll need to get back to the office. You know where to find us. Either your uncle or I will wander down here once or twice a day to make sure you're okay. Call us too, if you need anything. Meet us tomorrow night at 8pm sharp at the office and I'll get you the keys." Masaki grinned, and walked back to the elevator with a wave. The group waved back and yelled a loud 'thank-you'. The woman laughed, and entered the elevator, slipping out of sight.

Jonouchi spoke, "What the heck are Jack and Jill rooms?"

Honda shrugged in response.

Ryou sighed, and started to explain. "A Jack and Jill room is two rooms that are adjacent to each other, connected by a bathroom. Just go inside your room and you'll see." His tone sounded exasperated. Of course, he knew not to expect much from his friends when it came to hotels and room design. He didn't even know that much, but he'd been in a Jack and Jill room before. Inserting the key into the lock on door 22, Ryou jostled the knob, and it sprung to life under his hand. The door flew open, allowing a view of the first room. Inside was a large four-poster bed, with a matching dresser with a rectangular mirror at the top, backed up against the wall furthest from the door. The walls were a cream color, and the comforter and pillows were black, and from what Ryou could tell, were make of a very nice material. 'Velvet,' he thought. To the right of the bed, the wall held a small collection of pictures. Landscapes and Sakuras hung in wood frames. On the side they were standing on, a TV was mounted parallel to the door and light-switch, a small desk, just big enough for a laptop; sat in the corner. To the left of the bed, a door that led into the bathroom was open, connecting his and Yuugi's room.

"Oh wow…" Ryou mumbled breathlessly. Never had he seen such a nice hotel. The rest of them nodded mutely in agreement.

Yuugi crept forward and entered the room. He walked through the bathroom, and into his room. He appeared a few seconds later, "It looks just like Ryou's room!" he confirmed with a smile.

"Well, why don't you all go get unpacked, and Yuugi and I will meet you in front of our rooms."

Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda all headed to their respected room, all of which held an exact resemblance to Ryou's. Yuugi looked at his snowy-haired friend. "Okay, well, I guess we'll meet them outside our room?" he questioned. His amethyst eyed friend slipped back into his side beyond the bathroom door.

Ryou nodded, and hollered a quick "Yup." and he begun to unpack his stuff. That basically consisted of throwing his bag into the drawer of the dresser. Yuugi hadn't appeared on the other side of the door, so Ryou threw himself on the bed and closed his doe-brown eyes for a few seconds…

‹——›

A pair of crimson drenched in chocolate eyes lurked around, switching direction every so often; to make sure he wasn't being followed. Those same orbs continued to navigate the dark employee locker room skillfully. 'Thought there was nothing in the lounge, maybe there was something of value here.' He thought to himself. Successfully avoiding tripping over the benches that sat in front of the lockers, quietly hopping over them. He pressed a pale hand up to the metal of a lock.

It was a combination lock.

He scoffed. What on earth did those ignorant fools hope to protect with such small, weak little pieces of metal? Why did they trust their most valuable items to such insolent thing? No small chunk of brass was going to stop him from getting what he wanted. In his eyes, laws and locks were one in the same, meant to be broken, and that is exactly what the thief did…

He thought to himself. It was around two in the afternoon. He hadn't really remembered how often employees came back here, but judging by how dark it was, he didn't suspect anyone would be there for awhile.

The figure silently set to work. Every now and then, a barely audible click could be heard, and things would be shuffled. If you listened just hard enough, you could hear the quickening in pulse, the energized inhale of another success.

‹——›

Yuugi stepped into Ryou's room only a few minutes later. The tri-colored, spiky haired teen peered at his friend, unaware if he was asleep or dozing. He decided to try his luck.

"Wow, these rooms sure are nice." The shorter of the two called.

Ryou shot up, "Hm?!" he blinked a few times and turned to Yuugi. His hands felt something soft underneath them, and the brown-eyed youth looked down. Velvet material was clutched between his pale ivory fingers. Releasing the material quickly, the boy stood up and ran his fingers through the back of his hair. "Sorry, Yuugi-kun!"—his voice remorseful, "I must've dozed off." His face was red with embarrassment.

Yuugi shook his head. "No bother, I shouldn't have taken so long. It was my fault, really." The amethyst eyed boy whispered; his tone sorrowful. "Don't feel bad, Ryou-kun. You take credit for bad things that you don't do, we really wish you wouldn't…" his eyes were downcast, suddenly very interested in the floor.

Ryou tilted his head, confused. Did he? Never one to realize his own actions, Ryou never took into account how his mild-mannered self affected other people. That was something else for him to ponder on…

Yuugi was the first to perk up. "Well, wasn't it so nice of Anzu's family to let us do this?" his usually happy voice returning.

Ryou looked up and nodded serenely. Yuugi had a true talent for cheering people up. The boy did a once-over of his room, and nodded to himself. "Okay, well we shouldn't keep them waiting any longer, huh?" Ryou walked over to his door and opened it, Yuugi close behind.

"Geez! We thought you might've gotten lost…" Jonouchi cried in exasperation. He looked like he was ready to rip a hand through his golden locks, his amber eyes on high alert. "I mean seriously." — Jonouchi stomped around, huffing like a giant— "How long does it take you to throw a bag into a drawer!? The rooms are nice, but don't you think that exploring the hotel and watching scary movies is a lot more fun? The roller coaster lines-" the ranting was interrupted by his slim, pale companion.

"Sorry Jou, We just didn't feel like living out of a suitcase, we need to get comfortable." Ryou turned around and quirked a brow, "Now if you're done whining…" he walked towards the elevator, and pressed the _floor one_ button, "We can go."

"R-Ryou!" Jonouchi cried, following his pearl-haired friend. Yuugi, Anzu and Honda were hot on his heels, dashing towards the elevator they knew Ryou wouldn't let go down without them.

‹——›

Through a dark hallway, just past the employee locker room was a door. Not an unusual door, nothing special about it. It was an exit door to the outside grounds. Not hard to miss, but nothing strange or important about this door. If you were to open the door, you would find yourself staring at the back of a head of fluffy white hair, similar to that of the younger hotel guest. If you looked closer, you could tell that his hair was spikier, more evil. Hostile, to go right along with his current expression, he bore one fang over the side of his lip, chewing it in anticipation. No, he hadn't been seen, but he was waiting for someone particular to find him. There he sat in a very dimly lighted hallway, waiting. This hallway connected the amusement park to the parking lot, made entirely of concrete, no one ever used this way, most other people preferred to go out of the front and marvel at the beautiful landscape, or the beautiful sky. For whatever reason, this hallway was always empty. Which made it the perfect place for him to wait in solitude until, "What have you achieved?" a harsh voice spoke from the shadows. "I'll need a little longer for the bigger stuff, but here…"- The white haired thief pulled a small bag from who knows where and threw it across the hallway. It skidded until it came to a perfect stop, in front of the voice from nowhere. The man appeared, his mocha-skinned hand reached down to collect the bag, "You have two days, Bakura." The voice hissed with authority. The one dubbed Bakura glared daggers into the deep lilac eyes that were set on the face of the man with chocolaty skin. His blonde hair spiked up in many different directions, and he showed gold jewelry around his neck, on his ears, and on the wrist up to before his elbow. The man's muscles rippled when he flexed his arm out, pointing two fingers at Bakura, in the shape of a gun.

"Chill, Mariku. I'll get your stuff. No need for death threats." A smirk covered Bakura's features.

If looks could kill…

"If you don't, you'll regret crossing Me." the latter of the two, Mariku; spoke once more, and melted into the shadows. Not another word was spoken.

Bakura closed his eyes and growled, turning back to the door that should have been locked during business hours to prevent carjackings in the lot. Being the brilliant thief he was, Bakura had found a simple way around that. It was amazing what a simple wad of gum in the insert of the door could do. He jostled the door handle lightly, and the hinges squeaked to life, intruding on the silence of the hallway. Doors, those things really bugged him. No, it was _squeaky_ doors, like this one, that bugged him. He was a master of being seen only when he wanted to be seen, and now was not the time. An extremely loud creaking noise would alert anyone of his presence. Alert, he preferred, was solely for him. He entered the building once more, door snapping shut behind him.

The man became enclosed in shadows once again, and darted around the wall, awaiting his newest idea for his next victim. He had always been known as the King of Shadows, it was a nickname he rightfully deserved. Pale lids slipped over his evil eyes, and he remembered a memory, one he was particularly fond of…

_Flashback-_

"Bakura, no fair!" A little boy, around the age of eleven cried, feeling around blindly. The two, one could only assume the one called Bakura was there, were trapped inside a dim area. Shadows bent and swirled around corners, hiding who knew what in their depths of darkness. The first boy seemed to be searching for something, or someone.

Another young boy with a head of hair so snowy white it seemed impossible for the darkness to fully shroud it appeared from far edge of the room. Gloom was written across the young one's faces. "You told me that you would play fair…" The other boy cried, his emerald eyes spilling over with tears.

"No, I said I wouldn't scare you. I never said anything about playing fair…" Bakura's own brown eyes remained on the ground, bored, if anything.

The boys were both dressed in cloaks. Bakura's was red, almost spotless. While the other boy's was brown and tattered, messy with dirt from feeling around on the sand covered ground.

"Ranga…" Bakura hissed, raising a balled fist to his teary eyed companion. "Shut up, stop your crying." The arm fell right back to his side. "I won because I found the ring first, but if it bothers you so much…" the boy tossed the piece of wood on the ground. The small object was nothing like a ring, but it indeed could fit around one's finger, had your fingers been small enough. Ranga, the other boy, tripped, but scuttled over and snatched the 'ring' from in front of Bakura's bare feet.

"Thank you." The final two words were spoken. That would be the last time Ranga would ever play with this child of the darkness, and he could feel this as he watched his '_friend_' walk away for the last time.

Bakura snickered; a devilish smirk dominated his mouth. In the pocket of his cloak was something much more important than some stupid wood ring. Ranga wouldn't notice it missing until it was far too late. Stuffing his hand into the fabric, the young thief pulled something shiny out. He held it out in front of his face as he walked, and let the cold material unfold until he had just one end clasped between his fingers. The slim, silver bracelet that was once belonged to Ranga was now his; glinting in the light that shone from the moon.

_End Flashback._

* * *

Super Special Awesome plot twist, ne? Jkjk, anyone know where that's from? xD I had something diffrent planned, but it didn't work out that way, so...

That was a super long chapter. (:

Hope you enjoyed it.

If towards the end, things started to get confusing to you, I apologize. It doesn't make much sense to me either, but I was typing late at night and I was running out of words and stuff. :/

Cliffhangers, cause I'm gonna need a few more chapters, don't you think? Can't write the whole story all in this chapter, now can I?

Anywho, hope you enjoyed it, and hope the length didn't scare you off.

R&R, please? It keeps me inspired.


	5. Witty Remarks & Unmistakable Mistakes

Disclaimer: I own nothing mentioned in this chapter except Anzu's aunt and uncle. Also, I own the hotel. Er, the idea of the hotel… I ESPECIALLY _**don't**_own Yuugioh (Yu-Gi-Oh). Darn.

First off… APPOLOGIES! Yes, this chapter has taken a freakishly long time, and I'm willing to inform you it's not a very long chapter at that. The plot bunnies took me for a ride, but I hadn't really thought of how the events leading up to the climax would happen. Eheh. Thus the result… this chapter! Hope it suffices~ And be aware of major changes. You'll see what I mean. (:

Shantih- I did, and I'm doing it again! =0 Snap. These update things just keep coming. Yay buildup! (x Sankyuu, I'm glad I did okay on the Bakura scenes. That is what I'm mostly frightened of. Not writing those scenes correctly. Hope I don't disappoint. By the by, when I said Afekia in my last review on Driver's Ed, I meant Akefia. Sometimes I just type too fast and I don't review my reviews. xD

Consumedbylove – This one isn't! Hehe. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter though!

NulTide- Cliffhangers are amazing, what are you talking about?! xD I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Well, I can't decide whether or not I'm a fan of Anzu or not, but she's there none the less. I'll spoil my niece/nephew when I get one. :D

Lovenyami- Cause he is! Mariku is a hot jerk! xD The flashback came entirely from my mind. Hope you enjoy this chapter, too! I update when I can~

Solianna71- Yes, an update indeed. And here's another one for you. (: Bakura just kind of appeared. He's got that kinda skill. :D What do you expect from the second hottest bishie [Second only to Thief King Bakura...-drool- Hehe.] in the anime world?! Well, hope you enjoy the chapter~

With all that said and done, please enjoy the chapter! Beware the changes, and I apologize again if you don't like them! ^-^

* * *

Hell's Hotel  
Witty Remarks & Unmistakable Mistakes

The elevator door _ding_ed open.

"So, where are we going first?" Honda asked to no-one in particular. Yuugi shrugged and turned to Ryou.

The white haired youth sighed and began to walk out of the elevator; Yuugi was in step beside him, not bothering to turn to see if everyone else had dismounted. Another ding confirmed that the elevator had closed, and retreating to the next floor. Jonouchi and Anzu followed quietly. "Ryou"-Honda disrupted the silence- "where do you want to go?" *Yuugi-tachi became quiet and awaited his answer.

‹— —›

Bakura slunk about the walls of the hotel, wondering how he'd be able to get some cash for the remainder of the stay. Most everyone in the hotel seemed to be either in their rooms, at the park, or just not where he was. It never made a difference to him. Most people did tend to avoid him, and that was just fine. What few people loitered around in the hotels halls didn't seem to see him, or just didn't care? For whatever odd reason, Bakura didn't question it. He had his idea, and he knew exactly how he was going to obtain the money he 'needed.'

Without giving his surroundings a second glance, the shady figure closed in on the nearest exit to the outside.

‹— —›

(A/N: Here's the change! I might as well tell you here, it's not something very discreet. )

‹— —›

I stared at Honda for a minute. Then, at the rest of the group. Since when did I make all of the gang's decisions? They usually bent over backwards for Yuugi, not that I was complaining. I didn't crave attention, but this newfound power was nice.

We had long ago exited the elevator, and were now standing dead-center of the hotel lobby, waiting for something interesting to happen.

"Well,"- Everyone began to stare at me. I blushed profusely, but no-one seemed to notice my uncomfortable state. Instead, they awaited my opinion patiently. –"since we have the park all to ourselves tomorrow, we should go see a few movies?" It came out more like a question.

"Yeah, that's smart!" Yuugi chirped. Instinctively, I turned to smile at him in thanks. It seemed he always backed me up. "That way we don't get tired of all the rides tonight!" he finished his thought.

'Well, I thought _I_ was observant…' I rolled my eyes quickly, hoping no one noticed.

"Alright then, let's go!" Anzu announced, rather loudly might I mention. It wasn't that I disliked Anzu, but her ever-vivacious voice tended to get on my nerves. Yuugi-tachi walked off, and I watched them for a moment before trailing off behind them.

We got as far as the exit door before Jonouchi yelled. "Ah, no! I don't have any more money,"-he gripped his stomach in mock pain-"and I'm SO hungry!"

"Shut up! Geez, Jou. Don't be so loud!" That was the most profound thing I'd heard Honda say all day.

"Ah, you shaddup! I'm a growing boy and I need more food!" Jonouchi took his ever ready stance at his friend with the singular spike at the top of his forehead.

"Hey, hey guys! We'll eat later, besides it's much too early for dinner. Let's just go enjoy a movie or two. And if you're good, I'll buy some pop-corn!" I had no idea why I chose to intervene just then, but it worked.

"Alright! Let's go!" The rest of the gang charged the door, Jou hollering something about a horror movie. I stayed behind again, looking around. Something in my gut told me that something was going to happen. When nothing of interest caught my eye, I wandered off after them.

We entered the theatre in a most dramatic fashion.

No, let me re-phrase that. Jonouchi did the dramatic entering; Meaning he threw the door open and laughed in a most obnoxious way as everyone turned away from the snack-bar and ticket-booth to look at us. Yuugi blushed and looked down. Honda glared at Jonouchi, same with Anzu. "Don't be such a spaz man." Her voice was commanding, and Jou knew better than to aruge.

The one girl stepped forward from the group and sashayed over to the ticket-booth. With a flick of a wrist, and a flash of paper, the teller nodded.

Anzu called us over. "What do you want to see?" she inquired, pointing to a board with five movie titles blinking in red lettering. I was surprised to see that they had so many. Surely the hotel brought in enough money, then with the park all expenses should be paid for. The IMAX didn't need any more than two movies, in my opinion. Even without the IMAX, the hotel would still be plenty lavish.

Aside from my babbling , there was another voice ringing in my head.

"Something scary!" Jonouchi was persuasive…

"That'll work" Honda agreed.

"Guys, I don't know, maybe we should…"- he was interrupted by the blonde from the umpteenth time since I first met them, by Jou.-"C'mon Yuuge! Don't be a baby!" The shortest of my friends looked down. "Oh, okay. Scary movie for me. That alright with you?" his voice was small, then he turned to look at me. I gave my regular half-smile of reassurance. He took it without argument.

"Then let's go!" Anzu paraded us straight into a half-empty theatre.

"So, what movie is this?" I asked, only partially interested.

"Some zombie movie(1)" Honda shrugged.

I sighed and started to find a seat. The rest seemed to follow my example, stacking in right beside me. Yuugi, Jonouchi, Anzu, then Honda. I remained on the outside of the row. I offered to buy Jou pop-corn and I knew he'd hold me to it.

The movie started after about fifteen minutes of previews. Previews annoyed me to no end. If I wanted to see random trailors about some odd movie, I'd go look them up on the internet.

_Honestly… _

I closed my eyes as the rest of the gang lent out towards the screen. I'll give him thirty minutes until he remembers how hungry he was.

‹— —›

Simple.

These fools make it too simple! I walked around to the back of the IMAx building, looking for an employee door.

It wasn't hard to find. After all, I took a grand total of five steps before a black door with 'Employees Only' written in red lettering caught my eye.

I turned the silver handle protruding from the door. It grunted, but didn't give way. I groaned, and blew a piece of bang from my face.

Okay, time for some force.

People could look at me and call me a scrawny runt, but then those people usually ended up dead in an alley. While I was thin, I did have muscle. Plenty of it.

Being the person that I was, it didn't make much sense to walk around to the front of the theatre and just mug and kill everyone there. that was more my boss' thing. Mariku enjoyed toying with people. While I did get some sick enjoyment out of it myself, I don't like dealing with people when I don't have to.

No, I preferred a more thief-like way.

Bracing the door-handle in both my palms, and pressing my shoulder flat against the door, I pulled the handle upwards. You know, the way it isn't supposed to go, until I heard the ever-lovely sound of metal grinding and shearing against each other. Then a snap. I took a step back and admired my work. From the top and bottom of the plate, there were two huge cracks, each about half an inch deep. I pushed on the metal again, and this time it yielded, springing halfway open without pretest. I slipped inside quickly, and shut the door behind me.

"Finding a vault, or at least a cash register wouldn't be too hard." I assumed that anyways… I had around two days to get my true, no Mariku's true goal, but I needed my own leisure money much…

I hissed as my foot connected with something. It wasn't painful, but metal on concrete wasn't exactly quiet. I jumped back and examined the object in question.

It was a screwdriver. Well, that will come in handy. I scooped up the metal object and placed it quickly in my pocket.

While it was completely irrelevant information, I thought I might as well figure out where I was, and I looked around. Boxes of M&Ms, Hershey Bars, flash frozen hamburger patties and pre- bagged popcorn kernels, along with a variety of other things that could ensure a cavity were stacked neatly along the walls. So, I was in the storage room.

With what little information I had about this hotel, I guessed I had come right about half an hour into the movies, so running into anyone outside the theatres was slim to none. That was good.

I set about to work slipping around until I finally found another door that lead outside into the dimly lit, yet extremely colorful area. The snack-bar, which happened to be empty. I felt a giddy grin cover my face, and pushed the door open, rushing straight towards the first cash-register I could find, and set off to work.

It wasn't hard, just plow the end of the screwdriver into the small slot above the retractable cash-drawer and push. It sprang open without a fight, but with a rather loud clank. I froze, and looked around. Nothing…

I pulled another small bag from the pocket of my black jeans and began to fill it with the paper currencies. I took care to count and remember exactly how much money was in the register, and which register it was. My first total was $165.76, in cash and change together. The whole process took about five minutes for one register. I looked up, and counted five more registers. All in all, I was sure I'd be out in no time. Without another moment to spare, I set about prying open the registers, and counting the money; memorizing the amount in each one so I could total up my profits in the end.

Fifteen minutes must have passed, and I was so close. I had developed concentration that could not be broken, I had one register left. My pulse quickened, and I stabbed the screwdriver into the final slot, my ears attuned to the noise.

_Wait…_

There was another noise. One I hadn't heard in a long time. One of extreme fright and shock. A whimper maybe… I was sure the noise hadn't come from me, so where?

I looked up and dropped my bag, my mouth agape.

Standing in front of me was a boy, maybe three years my junior. Doe brown eyes wide, moth opened, a petrified look played his features. In his pale hand was clenched a five dollar bill.

This wasn't the most shocking thing, that I had been caught.

No, what kept me frozen there was his features. So similar to mine… His hair, pearly white hung just below his shoulders, yet wasn't as hostile looking and unkempt as mine, but still. The similarities were surreal! His pale skin mimicked the arctic color of mine. His eyes, the same shape as mine, but the color was ten times lighter. His nose sharp, but not in a cruel way. His pale lips that blended perfectly with his face were not as thin as mine, but they didn't command his face like that of a female's.

I felt a lump rise in my throat, and my world crashed around me. This one unearthly second came to an end when his throat muscles loosened up, and I could tell he would scream. I reacted faster than imaginable, and jumped over the counter, wrapping my fingers over his mouth.

"Shh." was all I could manage, before I scooped him into my arms and we flew out of the theatre. The bag of money was still cleanched in my other fist.

* * *

There, it's done!  
(1) I don't do scary movies, so I just put zombie... Kill me.  
*Yuugi-tachi- Tachi is a suffix that literallymeans 'and company' in Japanese. I know, because I'm in Japanese 2, so don't ARGUE with me.

In this chapter, I kinda make it seem like I don't like Jonouchi, but in reality, I think he's great! He's a comic relief character and I haven't written a reason for him to be serious yet. (:  
So, I hope you didn't mind the change too much! xD

Feel free to tell me if you liked the change in a review. Depending on what people say, I'll go back to writing in a normal POV, or I could continue to alternate between Ryou's and Bakura's POV. I like the latter of the two, because I like people the know how the characters are feeling, not just what they're saying!

Hope it was a satisfying meeting~ I had fun writing it! (I feel kind of bad it was all in Bakura's POV, but I made it like that for the next chapter~ That is, if you don't mind my writing the rest of the story like this.)

REVIEW, Please ?


	6. Sarcastic Superheros

Sooo, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's stuck with me through these long 6 chapters.

We're halfway there, guys! Thanks to all my reviewers last chapter. You're all great. I'd love to thank you all personally, but I'll do that later. I told you I'd have it

up before the end of winter break! Aha, I got it done with one extra day~ Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. BLAHHHH.

* * *

Hell's Hotel  
Sarcastic Superheroes

There's a striking moment in your life where everything flashes before your eyes. That moment is usually right before you die.

I hoped not the feel this for another few decades. You know the whole death thing? I had only lived seventeen short years, so what vision of my life I saw didn't last very long.

I could feel my body swaying, though the hands held me firm. How on earth I managed to get kidnapped in broad daylight was beyond me. I knew I was danger prone, but this was ridiculous.

Green grass flew by quickly. I was confused to say the least. I assumed I was heavy enough to slow someone down, but the man holding me simply glided over the grass, barely making an effort. He was running faster than I could ever dream of, and holding someone more than half his weight none the less. I closed my eyes.

'My name is Ryou, I am seventeen years of age, if anyone should find me after…'

"Hey, kid."

My mental note of what to write as my last living moments passed by flew from my mind.

"Hey!" the same dark voice hissed in my ear. I had been set down, knees and palms pressed against the floor. I looked up at my captor, and failed to suppress a gasp.

He looked exactly like me. Brown eyes, long white hair, pale skin. I could've been looking in a mirror. I squinted, hoping that it was just the dull light playing tricks on my eyes. There were some differences. His hair was spikier, eyes darker. He was most likely taller than me; however my legs wouldn't allow me to stand up to prove my theory correct.

"You alright?" the man took a firm hold on my wrist and pulled me upright, just as quickly letting me go.

I flew backwards and fell to the ground. 'Very graceful, Ryou. Might as well wear a sign that says "Please hold me captive, I can't even stand upright." Brilliantly done.' With what little vigor I had left, I braced the balls of my feet against the concrete floor, and lifted myself up.

"I'm fine." I composed myself as well as possible. "Why...Why did you take me?"

I could feel my own bottom lip quiver in fear. I am impossibly pathetic.

‹— —›

I stared back at this timid boy, obviously fearful of me. His emotions were easy to read, his eyes told a whole story. Not that I could blame him. I was perfectly aware that I could be rather intimidating, but I wasn't trying. Was I that scary?

I didn't have time to think about it before my natural instinct kicked in. I let out a dangerous, malevolent laugh. "Because I can." I pulled his face close, inches from mine.

He scurried backwards again. What was with this kid? I wasn't going to do anything to him. Maybe I should tell him that though.

"Hey kid, I'm not going to do anything to you. Come over here, would you? You're too spastic. Move too much…" I could hear my own voice, I sounded like a thug, even to myself.

"N-no." he looked at the floor, eyes welling up with tears.

I growled, and strolled over to him. I didn't do well with defiance. My hand closed around his chin, and forced him to look up at me. Dear Ra, what a freaking pansy. Tears were already threatening to fall.

"What's your name kid?" I usually didn't care; it was just something I did as insurance. I noticed it gave my victim some closure. The one thing they had left.

However, this boy interested me. When he didn't answer, I grew annoyed. "Don't ignore me, dammit. What's your name?"

"Ryou!" he yelled, cowering down to his knees. He was smart enough to keep himself from breaking down completely.

"Well." I paused, and looked elsewhere. So I had run us back to the parking lot. Odd, I don't remember running that far, but I guess I didn't want anyone else to see me or the boy.

"I'm Bakura."

My eyes widened. How absolutely stupid was that? I gasped at my own ignorant mistake.

The white-haired boy looked up at me, confused. He seemed to notice my distress. "What?" his tone was curt.

"If you're lucky to make it out of my grasp alive, you tell no one of my name." I paced over to him, towering above his head. "Unless you want me to beat you, I'd forget you'd heard it in the first place."

‹— —›

I nodded my head quick as possible.

"Good." his thundering voice echoing around in my mind. For whatever the reason, he wanted me to forget his name. Much to both of our dismay, it wouldn't leave my head anytime soon.

'Bakura. Bakura. Bakura'

I pushed myself into a sitting position and tried to calm the thudding in my chest. It was nearly impossible under the scrutinizing glare of my captor. "Excuse me, but then what can I call you?" I took a fleeting glance up, only to direct my gaze back down. His dark brown eyes were brooding, I couldn't make myself maintain eye contact.

"Well." his tone was serious. "You've lasted a lot longer than my other victims. I usually kill them off within the first few seconds of being caught." he tapped his chin. "I guess I'd like to take back what I said. Just don't talk too much."

I was confused again. Did he suffer from extreme bipolar disorder? Split personalities? It didn't matter. He was crazy and I only wished to get away from him as quickly as possible.

"So, Bakura." I placed a hand across my heart as it returned to its regular rhythm.

I heard him grunt. Maybe that was his response? I continued to process my thoughts, while a tense silence built between us.

"Why…" I cringed at the very first thought that came to mind. "Why haven't you killed me off yet?" I wasn't sure what time of answer I would get, but I was willing to bet it wouldn't be good.

A sick, dry laughter bounced off the walls, much like the one earlier. "I guess I don't really know. You…" he paused. "You interest me. You're a very beautiful little boy."

His voice was deep, rich. Velvet. For a split second I forgot I was with who appeared to be a madman. I was awestruck by the truth in his voice. Someone who would first off say such false things about me, secondly sound so truthful.

I suddenly felt very disgusted at myself. A wave of heat spread over my face.

"A-and why do I interest you?" I looked up at him meekly.

‹— —›

I returned the boy's curious glance with one of my own.

I finally found his eyes, and a grin spread across my face. The blush formed on his cheeks was impossible to mistake.

"Because you look just like me. Isn't that odd?" I gave him a quizzical look. "Are you interested in me?" I felt my head pull to the left, eyes sympathetic.

His eyes grew wide, and the blush became twice as bright. "Wha- what?! I'm- I mean. Interested? I guess it depends on the context you use…" he started to stare at the floor again.

"Context? I thought it was obvious I meant simply curious about how we look so alike, but if you'd rather it mean something else, by all means, twist my words." I could feel my grin grow wider.

He was a smart, innocent boy, but that little spill told me not as innocent as I had suspected.

He cringed, knowing I found a hidden meaning that he hadn't plan to let escape. "I really- I really didn't mean it like that. I um- I…" he was tripping over his own words. How cute.

I slumped down beside him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "It's okay. I know what it's like to be a teenager. Hormones. Great little things that make us all tick. They can't be helped." I sounded kinky, even to myself. But it brightened the mood, so I could go with it.

‹— —›

"Hey! I said I didn't mean anything like that!" I stood up and crossed my arms, knocking him off balance. "That's disgusting! You're just some criminal who has the ego of a king! I'm not interested in you in the least!" I felt my voice crack.

Panic washed over me. I was trapped with this psychotic madman who had suddenly flattered himself by twisting my words in his own sick thoughts.

"No, see. You're the one who got this started." I heard him pull himself up. My legs turned to mush underneath me, but I remained steadfast, eyes sealed shut. "You're the one who has this freaky mind, and just basically admitted you find me attractive."

I pursed my lips. "Disturbed doesn't even begin to describe you, does it?"

I heard a distinctive hiss; one that told me that I might not want to shoot off my mouth any more than I already had.

Without realizing what was happening, I felt a tremendous force against my body. I closed my eyes fell to the floor with whatever tackled me close behind. My head didn't make contact with anything cold or hard...

In fact, it felt warm and fleshy.

I opened my eyes to see a rather furious Bakura sitting on my chest, one hand securing my head from hitting the concrete.

"I can't have you pass out. Where's they fun in that?"

I stared up at him, fear overwhelming me. It was at that second I knew I wasn't dealing with some common criminal. His face contorted into a bloodthirsty smirk.

‹— —›

"We're going to have great fun. Now listen to me." I sneered, taking great care to pin the boy's wrists above his head. "I don't take well to attitude. I've got you held hostage, and if you wish to survive, you'd be smart not to sass me. I removed my hand from underneath his head, watching as he safely lowered to the ground.

"Understand?"

He nodded; that beautiful fear back in his eyes.

"Now." I stood up, and offered him a hand. The boy was smart enough to take my generous offer and pull himself up.

"Okay. Now that we have this whole boss thing established, I believe you had more questions?" it seemed likely that he wasn't finished.

Ryou nodded, and looked away from me, much to my own disappointment. He sighed, and then turned back to me. I felt content when he sat down legs crossed. A thoughtful look overcame his face, so I sat down beside him. "Well. I'm ready."

The boy turned to look at me. His eyes were wide and filled with curiosity. Fear lurked close behind, no matter how much he tried to conceal it. I closed my eyes and listened. His breathing became regular and he finally started to talk.

"Uhm. Well, you obviously have some sort of reason to be here, and I doubt it's just to kidnap me. So, why are you here?" he looked hopeful.

"Well, I can honestly say it's not to kidnap you, if that's what you're worried about." I sighed and shook my head. The boy looked so relieved. Was I that bad to be around? I hoped not, because I sincerely enjoy talking to him. "I'm here on sort of a business trip, if you could call it that. I'm not entirely sure why I was assigned to carry on my business at this particular hotel, but I don't question it."

He looked confused. "What kind of business do you do?"

I scoffed. "I'll tell you it's not legal, and I'd hate for you to get involved."

"So why did you bother to take me?"

An awkward silence hung dead in the air.

"Because I thought I'd kill you and go on with my life."

"And why haven't you?"

"We already went over this… You're an interesting…"

He cut me off with a sigh. "That's not a good answer. Why can't you just kill me and get it over with?"

I gave him a skeptical look. What on earth was going on in his mind? "Did you want to die?"

‹— —›

'Of course not! I don't want to die! I want to know why you took me. Because I'd caught you robbing the store. Why?' Thoughts bubbled in my mouth. I already asked him, but I suppose he didn't understand what I was saying.

"No." I smiled faintly, not wanting to make him angry. I thought about how to phrase my question. "I- just. I'm not sure what to say. No. I'm not sure how to say it I guess." I exhaled, and thought about a new question.

"Skip that one. Will I see my friends again?" I glanced up to look at my captor. He looked at me in a very strange way. Not anything disgusting, but not exactly calculating or even parental.

"I suppose that depends on them."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, will they come looking for you?"

My jaw fell partially open, and I began to wonder. Would they notice I was gone? If they did, would they come looking for me? Was I someone who they offered a weekend of fun just because they felt bad for me?

I curled up, pulling my knees to my chest and wondered if my friends would leave me like my parents did. Would I be alone forever? Doomed to be captured and used as a play toy by some evil mastermind?

I shook the thought from my head. "I'm sure they will." I was quiet, my voice betrayed my doubt, but Bakura didn't notice, or pretended not to.

"Was there anything else?"

"No. One more. You're a member of the *Yakuza, or some mafia family, aren't you?" I looked up, hoping I was wrong. Praying that I was wrong. A small smirk on his face told me my guess was spot on.

"Yes. And I've done a lot of things I shouldn't. No drugs or anything, if that's what you're gearing at. I get revenge. That's all."

"So tell me why you're here at this hotel…"

"It's not obvious?"

"I need some kind of conformation." All I could think about was Anzu's aunt and uncle. Surely they never did anything involving these dangerous criminal types? I couldn't imagine such nice people crossing anyone…

His smirk faded. "The owners have nothing to do with it. It's my boss. He has his wishes. I just follow them."

I closed my eyes, "Please don't read my mind. It's rather freakish." We both chuckled, a very dry laugh.

"What does he want, exactly?" I couldn't help but ask.

"He doesn't want anything. He's just one of those men that like to watch the world burn."

* * *

* Yakuza - Japanese mafia, simply put.

Well it didn't turn out exactly as planned, but they're interacting, finally! Bakura is very insane. It's more fun to write him that way. It reminded me of myself, actually.

Is that bad? I think it might be. Are you nervous? Well, you should be. ^.^

If you can point out the movie reference you'll get a prize! :D

Anywho. Uhm, I'm not sure what to say. Hope you liked this chapter. **Read & Review~**

I'm tired. =passes out= Meep.


	7. AN

A/N:

This story has been put on pause- obviously. I've got half of chapter 7 written and I will try to get the rest written over winter break. I'm really sorry! I'm actually currently deciding whether or not I should tear it down and rewrite it all… Eh, I don't know. But stay positive, I'm sure I can get at least one update up before the New Year!

If you've stayed with me this far I want to say Thanks and I promise I'll repay you all somehow!

-Quincy


End file.
